The scoreboard told a brutal story: France 4, Ukraine 0. But numbers alone can’t capture what really happened on that field.
For forty-five minutes, Ukraine held on. They defended. They fought. They believed. Then everything fell apart.
A First Half of False Hope
When the referee blew the whistle for halftime, the score was still 0-0. Ukraine’s players jogged to the locker room with their heads high. They had survived. Against one of the best teams in the world, they had kept a clean sheet.
In the stands, Ukrainian fans were singing. Not loudly, but hopefully. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull off a miracle.
France had attacked again and again. Their star players had taken shots. The ball had come close to the goal. But Ukraine’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, had stood tall. Every ball that came his way, he stopped. Every French attack, his defense blocked.
It looked like this might be Ukraine’s day. Football is funny like that. Sometimes the underdog bites back.
But football is also cruel.
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When Everything Changed
The second half started, and something shifted. You could feel it in the air. France came out hungrier. Faster. Angrier.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
Michael Olise, France’s quick-footed winger, danced into Ukraine’s penalty box. A Ukrainian defender lunged. Contact. Olise went down. The referee pointed to the spot. Penalty.
Ukraine’s players surrounded the referee, waving their arms, shaking their heads. But here’s where the story gets interesting: just moments before, Ukraine thought they should have gotten a penalty themselves.
A French defender, Dayot Upamecano, had made a challenge inside France’s box. Ukraine’s players had screamed for a penalty. The referee had waved them away. Keep playing, he had said.
But then the Video Assistant Referee—the VAR, the eye in the sky that watches everything—had asked him to take another look. The referee jogged over to a small screen on the sideline. He watched the replay. Once. Twice. Then he made his decision: no penalty for Ukraine.
Minutes later, France got their penalty. You can imagine how Ukraine felt.
Mbappe Takes the Stage
Kylian Mbappe picked up the ball and placed it on the penalty spot. The stadium went quiet. Thousands of people held their breath.
Mbappe didn’t run up and smash the ball. He didn’t try to break the net. Instead, he did something cheeky, something bold. He chipped the ball—gently floated it—right down the middle.
Trubin, the goalkeeper, had already committed to diving left. The ball sailed over him and dropped into the net. France 1, Ukraine 0.
The floodgates had opened.
When One Goal Becomes Four
In football, momentum is everything. Once France scored, they couldn’t be stopped. They smelled blood in the water like sharks.
Mbappe came close to scoring again. Then again. His feet were magic. Every time he touched the ball, Ukrainian defenders panicked. But the goal wouldn’t come. Not yet.
Then Michael Olise, the same player who had won the penalty, decided to get his own goal. He received the ball, took a touch, and fired. The ball screamed past Trubin and into the net. France 2, Ukraine 0.
Ukraine was drowning now. Their energy was gone. Their hope was fading. France was in complete control, playing with the confidence of a team that knew they had already won.
The Historic 400th Goal
Late in the game, Mbappe finally got his second goal. A scramble in the box. Bodies everywhere. The ball fell to Mbappe’s feet, and from close range, he tapped it in. Simple. Clinical. Deadly.
France 3, Ukraine 0.
But this wasn’t just any goal. This was Mbappe’s 400th career goal. Four hundred times he had put the ball in the net. At just 26 years old, he had scored more goals than most players score in their entire lives.
This goal also took his total for France to 55. Only two more goals and he would break Olivier Giroud’s French record of 57. History was calling his name.
A Selfless Final Act
With just two minutes left, France had the ball again. Mbappe could have tried for a hat-trick—three goals in one game. The crowd wanted it. He probably wanted it too.
But instead, he did something beautiful. He passed.
Hugo Ekitike, a young French striker, was making a run. Mbappe saw him and slid the ball perfectly into his path. Ekitike didn’t waste the chance. He shot the ball through Trubin’s legs—a move called a nutmeg—and into the net.
France 4, Ukraine 0.
Ekitike’s first goal for France. A moment he would remember forever. And Mbappe, the superstar, had given it to him.
What the Numbers Really Mean
When you look at the final score—4-0—it seems like France dominated from start to finish. But that’s not the whole truth.
For half the game, Ukraine had hope. They had defended well. They had worked hard. They had believed.
Then one penalty changed everything. One decision by a referee. One chip down the middle by Mbappe.
After that, the dam broke. France’s quality showed. Their expensive players, their world-class talent, their championship experience—it all came pouring out in the second half.
Ukraine couldn’t keep up. Not because they didn’t try. Not because they weren’t good. But because sometimes, in sports, you face someone who is just better. And on this night, France was much, much better.
The Road Ahead
France is going to the 2026 World Cup. They’ll play in stadiums across America, Mexico, and Canada. They’ll face the world’s best teams. They’ll chase another World Cup trophy.
For Ukraine, this is the end of the road for now. They’ll go home disappointed but not defeated. They showed up. They fought. They gave what they had.
And Mbappe? He’s two goals away from becoming France’s all-time leading scorer. At the rate he’s going, that record will fall soon. Very soon.
The night belonged to France. But the beautiful game belongs to everyone who loves it. Winners and losers alike.
